Kiruna

Kiruna is the northernmost settlement in Sweden. It's an old mining town that began to develop when iron ore mining first started in 1900. The town is Sweden's largest in land area, yet only about 25,000 people call it home. Kiruna is so far north that the midnight sun is visible here from mid-May to mid-July.

You'll find many things to do here. Try dogsledding or tour an iron mine. See local Samis and their reindeer herds. Or experience the skiing and hiking that Northern Sweden is known for.

Abisko National Park

Abisko showcases Kiruna's marvelous landscape. The park features many hiking tours, including a journey to Mount Nuolja that offers fantastic views across Lake Torneträsk and Lapporten, the renowned u-shaped valley to the southeast. If you’re the experienced outdoor type, head out along the Kungsleden trail. Less experienced? Try a day-long trek around Abisko; it’s full of marked paths good for summer walks and cross-country skiing in winter.

If you're looking for a true challenge, you'll want to try the King’s Trail: Kiruna's legendary 264-mile (425 kilometers) hiking, trekking and skiing trail that makes its way from Abisko in the north to Hemmavan in the south along the high alpine terrain of Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain. Standing at 6946 feet, or 2117 meters, Kebnekaise offers an adventure unlike any in Kiruna.

Abisko is one of the top spots in the world to view the Northern Lights. Kiruna also features the Abisko Turiststation: a 300-bed facility offering various forms of accommodation.

Icehotel

Travel from Kiruna by dogsled or snowmobile through a picturesque winter landscape toward the small village of Jukkasjärvi. You'll find the astonishing ICEHOTEL there. The name says it all—you'll experience rooms and suites built of solid ice. Enjoy whiskey (on ice, of course) at the world famous ice bar surrounded by a chamber of ice pillars.

Kiruna Snow Festival

Shake the post-Christmas blues in Kiruna. Held every January, the five-day Kiruna Snow Festival is the biggest event of its kind in Europe. Enjoy hearty feasts in giant igloos and take in skiing and ice skating competitions, dogsled and reindeer racing, and the ever-popular snow sculpture competition.

Crew tip

Every year, architects, designers and artists from all over the world gather in the small town of Jukkasjärvi not far from Kiruna to create the ICEHOTEL. The hotel offers activities year-round, but the ICEHOTEL understandably only exists in the winter. / Björn, air purser

Passenger tip

The Swedish Tourist Association, or STF, runs the mountain station and offers a wide range of services. It is located near Abisko National Park, one of Sweden's most famous and visited national parks. / David